Pros and Cons Of The Most Popular Carbon Fiber Guitar 

Thank you for looking at the pros & cons of all these models... so many videos just focus on the WOW it's carbon fibre. Definitely helps to take a step back like this!

It was by far the best video about Lava guitars I have watched, and I watched a lot. Instant sub

I've had a Blue Lava Touch guitar for about 2 months and I find it incredibly inspiring. I'm primarily an electric guitar player and I enjoy tinkering with effects, and the Blue Lava's effects, just like my best pedals, are pushing me in directions where I wouldn't go when simply picking up an acoustic guitar. That being said, marketing-wise Lava Music is way more similar to Samsung or Apple than to Taylor or Fender, so I expect to sell my Blue Lava within a couple of years to upgrade to the newer model with more capabilities.

I find the sound well and good, the resistance to humidity would work great here in the summer - Illinois gets hot and humid, there’s single sided foam tape which would work on the underside to prevent slipping

superb explaination brother , really fruitfull. I cud not have asked for a better point of view on this.

This is the video I’ve been looking for. Thank you!

I love my Lava ME 3. It has re-ignighted my creativity and desire not just to learn, but to make excellent my technique. The vision of the founder and company are in line with new-thought accomplishments coming forth today. However, I personally have found the service side of ownership somewhat lacking. I know they will improve so I support this creation whole-heartedly. 💖

The Lava is very useful with it's built in effects and strumming sounds. I do get it. But give me a beautiful piece of all wood guitar any day 😉

Ciao Marco on this guitar for over five years and still in love with it. However, your comment about the technology within it is valid since it is delicate. The good news is my first Lava Me 2 did not last more than a year before the electronics went. The customer service at lava was outstanding, and they quickly replaced my guitar with another one in so far as technology is concerned it’s a dream guitar you could take it anywhere use back tracks to your desire and you did not mention it sounds fantastic amplified as well. I use it to jam by the river close to my house and once again everybody’s fascinated by the design one person actually said I’d be the perfect Darth Vader guitar to play in black the colour that I have. Maybe I should do a video as Darth Vader playing it. Thanks for your great videos Marco.

I have the blue lava and love the built in tuner, recorder, and looper. The learning tools are nice as well. The strings it came with were a little too firm, I agree with going to 10s on it. I don't really use the effects, but they're there. Something not mentioned was the app pairing. If you practice with the system on, it will keep track of your practice time, which is good for goal setting. Downside for me is it has to be turned off to charge, this I learned the hard way. I also had the adhesive come off on the built in speaker. Their support is responsive and helpful. Keep in mind, their parts come from China and may take a few weeks. I was able to glue it back myself with the help of their support provided videos. It was my first guitar and has been great. Later I got a Martin and find that both have their place.

I've watched a thousand videos about Lava guitars to learn about them more than just the effects inside, and this one was hands down the best. A side-by-side comparison of all models, with details on tone, playability and everything you want to know before buying such a unique instrument. Thank you very much, Marco! Grazie per il magnifico lavoro.

I own the Lava ME3. I love it. It took a minute to get use to the thinner neck, but it’s my go to for practicing and jamming with friends. I do prefer my Jay Turser acoustic for recording though. It’s really fun to play the Lava though. The built in effects just seem to bring out creativity in ideas I prob wouldn’t find otherwise. Thank you for you’re content. You break down so many beautiful ideas that are typically not very hard and I love it!

maybe for a travel quitar i would get one. but not for a main instrument. never the less,i think those are cool.

I would love a bigger version of the Blue Lava with a longer neck. Looks so small as it is now

My PrepperAxe 😂 is the Me2. I love it. Even when she is a tiny bit narrow at the bone. Also the missing thrust rod is a bit uncomfy even when she took my .009-.046 with no issues but a bit loss of dynamic. Great axe! I added a grip tape from skaters store to the beauty. Won't slip anymore.

I love you review, both subjective and objective in perfect balance.

What an excellent review! Thanks!

Thanks for the Video. It helped my with my decission to buy a Lava Me 3

Am planning on getting the LAVA ME 2, i actually love how it sounds without the effect. Strumming doesn’t sound muddy but am now torn between it over the LAVA ME ORIGINAL since its sounds rounder and warmer (which I prefer) and living in a tropical country the carbon fiber guitar wpuld be great. So am heading to the music store (again) to hand a side by side test of both models.

I have a classical guitar that I love. When I got my ME3 at first I was disappointed . I was not used to the steel strings and there’s less room for my fingers so I was not sure I liked. It was harder to do finger style. But it has made me a much better guitar player because I can now play it well. I got the strap so I eliminated the problem of the guitar slipping off my knee. And I can play standing up. It has made me better with my classical guitar and I now love the ME3 because it is different.

Marco, how was the action as delivered from the manufacturer? How much tweaking did you need to do from either the nut, saddle or both? Intonation? and lastly, fret height...even, or did it need work?

Beautiful explanation.

Mario, I have a Martin that is constructed with HPL and I really like it. I have a Tonewood Amp that I attached to the guitar, which makes it sound amazing. I considered the Lava, but decided against it. I’m going to install a HyVibe Essential into my Zager Parlor guitar. The Essential is being shipped this November. With this I’ll get the a mahogany guitar, plus have the effects and a looper. Plus the HyVibe is Bluetooth so you can optionally control it with an app or a Bluetooth pedal.

I own a Lava me 2 since one a half year, i'd practised a hole of Things and must say I am really really happy about this guitar:)

You might want to try one Emerald Guitars' carbon fiber models. I think they're great. None of the tech of the Lava guitars, but great guitars with great build quality and sound. Their regular dreadnaught-ish model is the X-20.

Hi Marco, thanks for your excellent comparing video! I have a question about the necks of the several Lava Guitar models: Have they all the same neckshape? I heard that the neck of the Lava Me 2 was made with pleking-technique (the frets) I am interested in the Lava original with only 3 knobs and wooden look. How high is the 1st string over the 12.fret? Thanks for your infos and have a good day. Cheers, Markus

Thank you for the time you took explaining the pro's and con's I agree that the sound is very different from a wooden guitar, but the carbon fiber does have its place.

I love the look and sound and ease of the pick up on the lava original but worried that it's not tough enough to withstand knicks and light drops

Love the intro music. Is that from a past lesson?

Beautiful sound.👍😄

I've purchased the blue lava original freeboost and I'm very impressed with it's overall sound and playability out of the box. Bass response is pretty good as well as I do love a warm sounding acoustic. Personally if its a guitar to keep your after and for how cool the touch screens are you are always open to future issues as lagging especially with the earlier smaller ram version lavas. I like the 3 knob free boost.Its simple and consistent and you won't have update or lag issues. Reverb chorus and delay are more than enough for me. Simple is better.

I tried lava ME 2 a week ago and was surprised by how it sounds, considering its size. Thinking about getting one.

Love that guitar man i dont have enough money to buy it 😢

Have you done any comparisons of this guitar based on what it sounds like plugged into an amp...e.g. using the internal pickup? Do the effects also go thru the pickup? I've now watched several video reviews of these guitar and nobody has ever plugged one of them in! One reviewer showed that it has a jack to plug it in...but never did. Where can I find a review that includes info on how it performs when plugged in?

Interesting 👍😁🍀thank you.

There are silicone pads for the slip, they are extremely useful!

Great video and extremely well thought out. I really would love to try the LM that has the most rounded volume tone. I think the guitar is very sexy and refreshing. The white model/color caught my attention right away and I was like: "I gotta' have one of those." Where can I try one? Guitar Center? Sam Ash? Thank you for this video...

Marco... I need your opinion about the battery of the guitars. How long do the charges stay for the ones with simple three knobs? After using it for a year did the battery life degrade? Since any rechargeable battery degrades over time, is there any possible ways to replace these batteries and install new ones once the old ones die permanently? This is a pressing concern since even iPhone batteries degrade... and once they do die someday, the device becomes useless.

Good for frequent travellers. No need to caary an amp. No need to worry about road damages. And carbon fiber does not care about rapid dramatic climat and humidity changes in different cities.

I have a Blue Lava. I like to play it by myself, but in the outdoors or with noise around it fells too low volume, but part of the fault is my own because I've never learned to properly use a pick, so I don't use it at all :P I was using Elixir 10's, but I'm trying Martin 12's now.

One year ago,I sent my Lava Me 2 back as I didn’t like the basic sound of the guitar (especially strumming). The sound with the boost from the effects is nice, but without it’s just decent. Imo the LAG with the inbuilt HyVibe system is the better alternative, because it already sounds beautiful without any boosts or effects.

Great video, thank you. Can you tell me if the difference between the 36" and 38" ME3 is worth the extra $100?

Have you compared the tone to the Enya X4 Pro? Woud love a comparison. But perhaps Lava sponsors you?

Thank you for this excellent review. I was very interested in the Lava guitar, but your comments regarding potential fingerstyle issues made me check the nut width, and it turns out to be a bit narrower than what I prefer. My choice now boils done to Hyvibe (which has looping capability) or Tonewood Amp. But thanks again.

Loved the video. But how do they compare to the Enya nexG 2? I've looked at Emerald guitars and they are very lovely but. have pricy tag 💭

Have you used or had need for the feedback suppressor? They are only 20$ but not sure why or when I would need one. Thanks!

I'm undecided about whether to get a Lava Me 3 or a Lava Me Pro. They are similarly priced. From the reviews by Marco and other RU-vidrs, both have bright and full sounds with sparkling high notes. But I wish somebody did a video comparing the high end models.

Hi Marco. I really appreciate your honest opinion. I must say, I don't own one myself, but love the onboard effects and learning and recording app. We live in exciting times as guitarists. I don't mind if they sound a bit different, I always like to be a bit different. I'd love one, but these are still early times, I can imagine other companies doing similar tech, and competition. As you point out, I don't like the round-back. What's the point?. I'm also concerned about the electronics failing, the battery too. Are they future-proof?. I have seen in other videos, stating the setup isn't great, and the strings are too High at the bridge?. How can they be set up to their own tastes? The intonation and action, truss rod?. They are not cheap, but with the onboard tech, and you consider, the cost of guitar lessons, it's not too bad. Thank you for this.

What’s the difference in size? Is it the length of the neck? Which do you recommend??

I've had a lava me 2 for a couple of years now (I dropped it and cracked the body so it's not tough). The case straps have broken. The matt finish has worn smooth in places, which I quite like. Don't forget it comes with a rubber stick on patch to stop it slipping if that's a problem. Because of this positive experience, I bought a lava blue and didn't like the tone so sent it back. Don't like the effects of the blue either - or the shorter charge life of the battery.

You make any guitar sound great- you’re a great player, how would it sound in the hands of a novice?

I have a Lava Pro , with the 3 knobs, I have had a problem with the delay tap tempo. and the knob dial. It sounds great but unfortunately I am not confident that the technology is reliable. I had reached out several times to the Lava company and they have never responded to me. You have a few models , have you experienced any issues? I believe my warranty has now expired. Do you have a contact I could reach out to with the company? I pretty much have given up trying to get it fixed.

Thank You for your honest and the best review of Lava Guitar so far.

What a great video - such a thorough coverage of the pros and cons of the models with a very honest delivery. Makes the differences between the models obvious, in tech, sound, and playability. A masterclass in how to do a personal opinion piece on anything. Great work, thanks for sharing. I have not played for years and years but this has me thinking about it again.

So your critique of fingerstyle playing is due to the neck size/shape or just action or some other issue?

*Hi!* What’s the difference in Lava Me 4 carbon *36 vs 38?* Need to gift it. Which one is closer to a regular guitar?

Don't have any problems with playing fingerstyle on my Lava me 2.... It's even harder for me to play fingerstyle on regular guitar because of the better grip and guitar neck and strings' placement on LAVA...

Does the Lava Me 2 still a good option nowadays for someone who already have an acoustic guitar and don't want to spend a lot on a Lava guitar?

What string gage did you put on your lava 3 38-inch? I think it comes with 13’s

Thanks dude

I play acoustic shows all the time and I'm looking for something louder than an acoustic without carrying a rig. Does the Blue Lava pass? Does it produce at least twice as much the volume as an acoustic?

since there is no truss rod - can the play be adjusted?

Hello. I've a question. didn't the smart guitar's strings become rusty? they need not to change strings?? If so , then what type of string it is used ? and how we changes them? also though it runs with battery, so definitely a lifetime is related with such guitars which acoustic guitars don't have. SO I think these are the cons of using smart guitars. what do u think??

I’m just thinking nothing beats a wood guitar if you’re out camping, off grid and shutting out the world but this is pretty innovative ngl

With the HPL do I have to worry about humidity?

Does this guitar can have nylon strings?

A friend of mine recently got one of those and she asked me to try it out. So, I had a go at it. Frankly, there are some nice features to it in deed. But in less than 10 minutes I realized I wouldn't want one for myself. Here are my reasons why: *1)* I didn't like the feel of the neck. *2)* I found the spacing between the strings a little too narrow *3)* I didn't hear anything special in its natural tone (it's not bad though) *4)* The scale is too short (I like soloing at the high end of the scale) *5)* If it happens to get broken, how do you/the luthier go about fixing it? I live in a small town and it is already hard enough to find a good luthier, needless to say one that would be able to do a good job on such an exotic type of guitar... *Just for the record:* I don't mean to demean this instrument or discourage anyone from buying one. This is my personal first impression, and I only played it for a few minutes. Remember, "One man's meant can be another man's poison." Nonetheless, I think it's important to note some aspects as the ones I'm pointing out before deciding on having one or not. Maybe it's just because I'm used to playing Les Pauls and Strats (and I could also point out some issues they, too, have). Of course, I didn't tell my friend about that. I didn't want to spoil her happiness of having one.

I wish i could have one of this

do you guys know the song he played at 6:29?? its so good

10:26 fingerpicking part…amazing, there’s a lesson about it? Btw, I have a Lava Me 2 and I feel pretty good with that, it’s not my first option on playing guitar, I prefer ofc my wood acoustic guitar if I have to play strumming or fingerstyle, but at the end of the day it’s a nice choice to have fun with playing. Some songs are very interesting to play with these guitar effects. I’m a little disappoint about the second effect, that’s the Chorus, cause I don’t get it clearly a difference between it and the guitar with all effect turned down. In conclusion, I raccomand this guitar if u want one to have fun with it🤝

I want to take a super durable guitar hiking and camping. Does lava have one anyone would recommend?

My buddy just got one and I love it! Thanks for all your content!

it's amazing for the carbon fibre one to be both muffled and piercing at the same time.

Do this guitar has a mic input that play together without amp?

QUESTION: Did you use 10 gage onnthe ME 2 and did it work? Which bottom end gage did you use? The 12 gage is really heavy and action a bit high in higher frets. So without thrust rod can you advise me to use 10 gage? So many thanks for your reply ❤

I think they are very innovative but I would like to try one before I spent the money . I am a little wary of just buying it without trying. Thanks.

ITS PERFECT GUITAR

What is its price in india i want 1

I have the Lava Me2 and I love it but the case is the absolute worst making it an entirety unsuitable travel guitar. The handle has broken off twice now. I’m in Salt Lake about to travel back to Dallas with a busted handle. I wish I could buy a more rugged case from a third party but the shape isn’t common at all. Come on Lava. Make a quality case to go with this guitar!

You convinced me to not get one - I need an easy to fingerpick guitar. I tried an original Lava Me once, didn't like the feel, sound or fingerpicking.

WHATS THE SCALE? FRETBOARD MATERIAL, FRET SIZE, NUT MATERIAL? , RADIUS??

I hope one day to have a better nylon stringed guitar, and a better mandolin than I currently own. Then I'll move onto electric or lava.

How about the fretboard radiuses of these?

Cannot be connected to a PA system? Bluetooth?

I can't tell, that it sounds awful, it just sounds different. We'd better watch on it as an independent instrument. The advantage is an amount of effects as delay, reverb, looper. So, it's closer to a transacoustic guitar than to a regular guitar. Anyway, that's cool that we can try Lava. More instruments=more opportunities😁

I have had an ME2 for over a year and love the sound

I ordered my Me 3 through ebay, i hope its not a scam its supposed to be brand new

I want to buy a lava me 4, but have read enough Amazon reviews stating lava guitars are problematic, requiring a lot of customer service support. That’s a lot of money for something that doesn’t work right. Any ideas for a good carbon fiber guitar without problems? Preferably a Smart Guitar.

I bought a Blue Lava. The frets and neck were not good. The features on the guitar were fun, but I thought the sound quality would be better. I returned the guitar after a week.

Rounded edge as well as top heavy, it's constantly wanting to fall on it's back. Did the producer of this video EQ the guitar to get rid of the muddy sound? Please tell us which frequencies need to be cut for these guitars to sound as good as the videos. It's not just me, people that hear it say, it just doesn't sound as good as your other guitars.

Is the battery replaceable? It won’t last forever.

2 comments: First, I'm surprised there is no on board tuner. Second I think the sound would be very sympathetic to Celtic / DADGAD music.

The only model that is carbon fiber is the most expensive one. The rest are HPL (high pressure laminate)

It will be a good addition to a guitarist ensemble. But the price point keeps you thinking. It definitely scores on fancy points. $1500++ in India. For Me3😢

What do you mean, 'softer strings?'

I bought just the ME2. 340 bucks. There is no software obsolessence problem and I am sure the whole system can be taken out to change the battery once it gives up and replace it with a then actual one. Some dark matter energy cell with Billions of mAh lasting decades probably 😂 The touch screen looks too fancy and as desperate as I am to have a built in looper I prefere the ME2 because of its potential to create smiling faces once you put on chorus after playiing already 30min at a bonfire pure accoustik 😂 1st reaction always: "Man what is that? This one looks great." "yeah it is a cheap chinese one made from plastic to travel. Also smaller." 2nd reaction always "Huh? Are you kidding me? What is going on here?" "Well, it was relatively cheap. And made in China, bro." I love that kind of occasions.

bruh what's with that pout pose 😂

Metto mi piace ma non ho capito na mazza 😁😁😁 prima o poi ne farai uno in italiano. Aspettiamo

Acoustic Wood guitar touches you more than anything else.. Its like talking with mother nature.

Changing strings on this guitar is a nightmare